Gray Eyes
by skoolgirl101
Summary: Draco Malfoy...using his powers of seduction...to see his daughter?


**A/N: Now, I know this has been done many times in the past but I had to write this of only to write something. Sometimes you get these plot bunnies that just will not go away no matter how hard you try. So I wrote it. It's very cliché, very OOC but I think it's ok considering. It is by no means my best work but I tried. Reviews would be most appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: Never have I been nor will I ever be J.K. Rowling. All of the characters belong to her. Only the plot is my own.**

**Gray Eyes**

Hermione Granger had had her daughter, Emily, when she was eighteen years old. Sometimes she regretted how she had handled the night Emily was conceived and the day she realized she was pregnant. But Emily would never be a mistake. She loved her daughter very much. Emily kept her from going completely insane. She made her laugh when she felt like crying. She understood her…well, to the best of the ability of a five-year-old.

She had never told Emily's father he had a child. She never felt she had the need to. He had his own life to live and she had hers.

Since Emily was an exceptionally intelligent child, she understood quite easily the fact that her father was not around but Hermione had specifically told her that it was not his fault. That she was the one who had run. That he was a good man and that she, Hermione, was a coward. And Emily had accepted it, much to her mother's relief.

One day, they had decided to go to the park a few blocks from their flat. Emily enjoyed the swings with her stuffed cat, Mr. Nibbles, while Hermione enjoyed the company of a good book on a bench not too far away. She occasionally looked up towards the swings to make sure that Emily was all right.

But that day, while she read, she heard Emily's voice calling to her.

"Mummy!"

Hermione acknowledged her with a "Yes, Em," but continued to finish the paragraph she was reading.

"I met a new friends," she replied happily.

"Oh? And what's her name?"

"_His _name is Draco Malfoy," an all-too-familiar voice replied.

Hermione finally looked up from the book and saw none other than Draco Malfoy holding her daughter's hand. He stood in his expertly tailored, button-down navy blue shirt, the cuffs rolled up to his elbows with the top button unclasped, and a pair of gray trousers that fit him perfectly. (Not that she had noticed.) His blond hair glistened in the sunlight and his gray eyes were clearly amused. How did he ever get his hair to look _that_ soft?

"Well, hello—" he trailed off, evidently not knowing what to call her.

"It's still Granger, Malfoy," she said coolly, gaining back some of her composure.

"It's a surprise to see you, Granger. And is little Emily here related to you?"

"She's my daughter."

His look of shock cheered her a bit and boosted her morale. He looked to Emily, who smiled, to Hermione and back again.

"Merlin's beard, she looks exactly like you. I should've realized sooner."

"Yes. That's what everyone says but she has her father's eyes."

Before he could ask the obvious next question, Hermione continued by asking, "So, Emily, how did you two meet?" cheerfully, so as not to reveal her nervousness.

"I was on the swings with Mr. Nibbles when some boy knocked him into the dirt. The boy didn't say sorry when I told him too. I was about to cry when Mr. Malfoy came and gave the boy a sound talking to and helped me dust Mr. Nibbles off. He told me not to worry, that Mr. Nibbles would be fine."

Hermione looked back up at Draco and said, "Well, Malfoy, I do believe I owe you thanks. Thank you for aiding my daughter."

"It was honestly no problem."

"The Draco Malfoy I knew never cared about other's feelings."

"Well, I'm not the same boy I once was. Would you believe me if I told you I'd changed?"

"Judging from the way you helped my daughter, I do believe I would."

Then Emily exclaimed, "We should invite Mr. Malfoy to dinner!"

"Uh…Emily, now don't you think Mr. Malfoy has other plans that he needs to get to this evening?"

"On the contrary, I do not. I would love to come. That is, if it's ok with your mother."

She gave Malfoy a look as Emily gave her a hopeful gaze. _Thanks for making me the bad guy,_ she tried to convey to him but he just smiled genially.

"Oh, all right. Why not?" she consented reluctantly.

"Oh good! Come on, Mr. Malfoy. Our flat is this way."

Hermione had to run to catch up after them. Draco looked towards her and asked, "She's exceptionally smart for her age, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

"You've obviously been of some good influence. Considering, and I'm assuming, that Weasley is her father."

"Ron is not the father."

"Don't tell me Potter is then."

"No. He is not."

"Then who is?"

"I do not believe that this is a discussion we should be having at the moment, Malfoy," she whispered harshly.

When they reached the flat, Hermione set her bag down on the table by the door and said nervously, "Have a seat, Malfoy. Anything to drink?"

"I don't suppose you have a bit of Firewhisky," he teased and made Emily giggle.

"No, Malfoy, I do not as that would be a bad influence on Emily," as she looked pointedly at the both of them on the sofa. Emily stopped giggling under her mother's sharp gaze.

"A butterbeer would suffice then," he replied, smirking.

"I'll get it, Mum!" Emily called excitedly and ran to the icebox.

"Don't run, Em," Hermione scolded weakly as she was under Malfoy's gaze.

***

When dinner had been prepared and all were seated, Draco asked Emily, "So have you shown any magical abilities yet?"

"Oh yes! I levitated a book from a shelf across the room."

"Very good," Draco congratulated.

"I also shattered a vase but Mummy was not too happy about that."

"I dare not say she shouldn't have been. I'm sure she loved that vase," he looked to Hermione.

"Considering I am a witch, I just repaired it, Malfoy."

"Ah! Always sharp as a whip, your mother is, Emily."

Hermione could not be under his gaze for long and looked away quickly.

"Eat your green beans, Emily."

"But, Mum…"

"Emily, don't whine and eat."

"Emily, green beans are actually quite delicious and very healthy. Don't want to grow up to be tall and strong like your Mum?" Draco said.

"…I suppose so…" Emily said begrudgingly.

"Then you should eat those green beans right this moment so you could start growing right away," he said excitedly.

"Ok," she said as she began to eat her green beans slowly.

Hermione looked at him with a look of incredulity and he said, "What?"

"Just…nothing," as she went back to her food.

***

As dinner was winding down, Hermione turned to Emily and said, "Guess what time it is, honey."

"But Mum…"

"Now, Em. It is your bedtime and you have school tomorrow," she said, turning to Draco, "Muggle. To learn to read and write and such." He nodded to show he understood.

"But what about Mr. Malfoy?"

"Mr. Malfoy will not mind, will he?"

"No, he won't. Emily, what do you say I come to say good-bye when I'm ready to leave, ok?"

"Ok."

"Thank you, Em. Go get into your pajamas."

She ran out of the dining room and into her bedroom. Hermione began to quickly clear the dishes.

"Let me help you with that," Draco offered.

"No, I'm fine," she replied, her nervousness back.

"It's no trouble," he said as he followed her to the kitchen. She whirled on him and exclaimed, "I don't particularly care if it's no trouble. You are our guest and you will let us treat you as such."

"Ouch, Granger. Is that how you always treat your guests?"

"My unwelcome guests."

"Unwelcome? I do believe that you were the one who invited me."

"No, that was Emily. I merely wanted to make my daughter happy and consented to the invitation. It does not mean that I was exactly happy about it."

"You said she had her father's eyes. Who is her father?" he expertly changed the subject.

"What?" she asked, caught off guard.

"Who is Emily's father, Hermione?" he repeated, using her given name for the first time that night and revealing in his expression that they shared a past.

"That is…none of your concern, Draco," she answered, turning towards the sink and beginning to manually wash the dishes.

"Oh, but I think it is, Hermione," he said softly.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Emily has gray eyes, Hermione. And, if my math is correct, she was most likely conceived the same night we—"

"So what? What is your point, Malfoy?" Her voice had started to become shrill. Knowing an argument was brewing, she cast a silencing charm on the room so as not to wake Emily.

"My point, Hermione, is why didn't you tell me that I had a child?"

"I saw no need to tell you."

"No need to tell—Hermione, I am her father! I had a right to know!"

"Well, maybe I didn't want to mess up your perfect life! I could just see the headlines now: 'Malfoy Heir Conceives Secret Love Child with Mudblood Granger.'"

"Don't call yourself that! You are _not _a Mudblood!"

"That didn't stop you from taking advantage of me that night five years ago!"

"Taking advantage? Is that what you call it? What you tell yourself so you can sleep at night? Hermione, you wanted it just as much as I did."

That silenced her.

"You didn't resist. You didn't retaliate with slaps or punches or hexes," he continued as he came closer to her. She leaned back against the sink as much as she could but he had her trapped.

"You didn't have to run, Hermione. I wouldn't have run if you had told me."

"Easy for you to say now. You were eighteen, Draco. You would have been just as scared as I had been."

"Perhaps. But I am not a coward. You were the one who ran without even telling me."

"I was afraid! I didn't know what to do! I was eighteen! Barely had my own life and I had to care for another's! What was I supposed to do?"

"I would have taken care of you and Emily."

"Well, it's in the past."

"Hermione, let me into your life again. Yours and Emily's. Let me get to know my daughter," he whispered.

"I don't know."

"I've missed you, Hermione. More than I ever thought I could." She could feel his breath in her ear and on her neck as he leaned closer and she sighed softly.

"I promise to take it slow. I promise not to do whatever you're not ready for. Just let me be a part of my daughter's life."

"All right," Hermione consented finally.

"Really?" He seemed surprised at her quick consent.

"Yes. Emily needs a father in her life and…I was wrong in not telling you."

"Yes, you were," he smirked. "Now, if you don't mind, I should like to say goodnight to my daughter before I leave."

"Of course. First door on the left," she replied, still in shock.

As he left the room with a smile, she turned back to the dishes and said to herself, "Hermione Jean Granger, what the bloody hell have you gotten yourself into?"

And slowly, but surely, she smiled.

**A/N: Reviews please!**


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